Christmas Images...

Some images from this Christmas --- we had the last of the gift giving celebrations today -- I am tired! I uploaded my photos today -- 484 for December -- wow -- guess I will have to do some weeding out there.

Kids were fun this year, as they are every year. However, this year they were both very into Santa Claus and all things Christmas.

Some favorite times.....

The icing!! There is a reason why Emily gets her own cookies and keeps them in her own box -- they are special little creations!!
Some cookies turn out a little fancier!

We did get enough snow to make a snowman (a rather large one at that) on the first day of Christmas vacation.

Not everyone likes gingerbread cookies, so my solution to making cookies for out gingerbread house decorating party was to make sugar cookies and tint the dough brown --- worked pretty good!

This was my favorite decoration this year. So pleased with the way it turned out. The girls were so excited each day to put on a new ornament. Did not get the star finished until Christmas Eve, but that was ok since it was not needed until the next day. My friend Angie and I made these this year --- copied from the inchmark blog.

Somewhat disappointed that I did not do a December Daily album this year. Maybe next year. I was productive, though --- knitted 6 scarves, 1 felted bag and 2 baby hats. Created 7 paper folded boxes of candy (Nugget Boxes on Splitcoast Stampers), 4 banana breads, 2 coffee cakes and was the chief wrapper of the house. All in all, a happy Christmas ---- won't lie, had a few meltdowns from the kiddos, but too much excitement, not enough sleep, travel, relatives and treats galore will do that to a kid.

Looking forward to new projects in 2010. So far in my mind are making doll clothes (ie American Girl), knitting another pair of socks, a scarf and maybe another felted purse; scrapping --- I have really neglected it lately; sorting through old photos and I am sure the list will grow -- always more ideas then there is time!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

A lot of creating going on here -- have been knitting like a fool, scrapping this and that and making some new decorations for the house. Made this family Advent wreath as part of an annual gathering with some friends. We traced our hands to use as the leaves -- the kids enjoyed making it and look forward to "lighting" an new candle each week. It looks much cuter in person --- less like 4 toilet paper rolls and more like a family craft project!

The felt countdown calendar/decorate the tree came form the inchmark blog last year. My friend and I fell in love with it and created our own. At inchmark, she created her own ornaments from felt --- I ran out of time and am using little ones purchased at Micheal's --- works just as well.

Urban Fall Challenge

Liked this combo and thought I would try it. Just a quick digital page, but think I will make something like this traditionally too -- like the combo with the black and white photo. Did this for Stacy's color challenge -- always fun!

zoo day

What do you do when it is 70 degrees and beautiful in November?? Find a way to enjoy the outdoors -- for us it was the zoo today. Great day with the family...

Halloween Fun

Quick digital page of the Halloween fun!

Love fall...

Love the colors -- so vibrant -- took this one at the neighborhood park this week...

My new knitting project....

Color Challenge

Went over to Stacy J's new site today and looked under the color tab and found this challenge. This is one of my current favorite photos -- taken just a couple weeks ago.

Also -- was soooooooooooooooo tired of my blog look. Still not great, but better than it was before! Had to mix in some colors of the season!

From Inspired...

Actually from their sketch last month (#30). Check out other sketches at Inspired Blueprints.

My present...

I participated in Stacy Julian's challenge last year to make a little book with 12 current pictures and carry it for a year. Loved my little book and this year the challenge was to make that book into a scrapbook page. My design was HIGHLY inspired (ok, copied) from Cathy's page. Love how it turned out and know I will enjoy having it in my scrapbook.

My New Mug

So pleased with my new coffee mug -- made it last week at one of those pottery painting places. We went for my friend's 40th birthday -- I had so much fun and am super pleased with what I made. It was my first time going to one of those places and I will definately go again!

Fall Festivals

Love the fall -- went to a festival at the local amusement park last weekend -- great start to the season! Lifted this design from Ann Costen -- check out her layout here.

Inspired by...

Inspired by the talented Elizabeth Dillow -- this week's featured designer on write.click.scrapbook.

Baby pants

Made these little pants for a friend of mine who recently had a little boy. Also made a hat to match and another solid blue set (pants and hat) in a larger size. Really fun to make and not too difficult. Found the pattern here.

Photos I Love

Made this little purse album a while back. Took 2 sheets of 12x12 paper (for the background), little album is from Target (I think it was around $3) and many 2x2 photos that I love.

Quilting again...

It has been awhile, but decided to pull out some old quilt tops I started and finish them up. Working on this one first -- have it now sandwiched together with batting that I can hand quilt on cold winter evenings. Still a ways from being finished, but fun to be working on it again.

Quick Year in Review

I make these little photo collages every month to send to my grandmother. I mount them on cardstock and then on the back I write a little note about the happenings that month and then when she receives it it goes on a little binder ring album. One day, walking through Wal-Mart it hit me that I could keep those memories in one of their little $1 albums. I changed out the paper in on the cover, customized it and then added journaling pages. The journaling is hand done and I have a digital file that does this, but decided I could just do it myself -- to include the name of the month in the squiggly line. I also have pages that show birthdays, swim lessons and our photo from our Christmas card.

Amusement Park Mini

I take my camera evey time we go to the local amusement park, which means I end up with TONS of photos on the same rides. Can only scrap so many pages like this, so decided to take some of my favorites from last year and put in a mini book. I picked up this one either at Archiver's in the Hot Spot area of at Michael's -- can't remember as I have had it for awhile. Paper is American Crafts. I used the "recipe" that was on Write, Click, Scrapbook a few weeks back, but had to change some pages due to my photos and their orientation. Like the popped-up titles on each page -- gives a little dimension. This is one of my favorite projects and was literally put together in an afternoon.

Another first...

Back to School

First day of school! Looks like the year is off to a good start!

digital scrapping

Just some recent digital creations...

I scrapped!

Felling kind-of bad this weekend -- but good enough to veg-out in my rook and create a few pages. Hoping this cold goes away soon, but liking what I got accomplished while not feeling so well!

Love the sunflowers

Summertime!

summer flower

that girl

Skippin Stones

Long time since last post -- have been creating -- just not recording! These pages were created from today's sketch on the write. click. scrapbook. blog.

first day...last day

Today, Megan said good-bye to Kindergarten -- my baby is growing up too fast.

Colorful Megan

Finally made one of these cute little books. From Big Picture Scrapbooking -- Projects to go section. This was an old Snow White board book -- how about that for recycling!